Breeding Matters - Genetics key to Beef on Dairy Profitability
Date Posted: 17th February 2026
Debbie McConnell, Principal Group Scientist, AI Services
The use of beef semen in dairy herd breeding strategies has been well cemented over the past few years. Fuelled by the adoption of sexed semen, a stagnation in the size of the national dairy herd reducing the need for replacements, and soaring beef prices, beef originating from dairy herds is now estimated to account for over 50% of all prime beef slaughtered in the UK.
A similar trend is evident globally. In the USA beef on dairy production has increased from 50,000 head in 2014 to an estimated 3.22 million head in 2024. Closer to home, beef production on dairy herds in the Republic of Ireland is expected to reach 0.9 million head by 2032, 2.5 times greater than that produced in 2010.
For farms there have been positive knock-on effects of this increase in beef on dairy use. Studies show that dairy farms transitioning to sexed semen with beef on dairy strategies have longer overall herd longevity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And with weekly drop calf prices in NI averaging £454/head during 2025, a sexed semen + beef on dairy strategy, allows a 225% increase in income from calf sales compared to using all dairy semen across the herd.
But with more beef from dairy appearing in the food chain across the globe it is important that we focus on how to maximise the value from beef generated in this way, not only for dairy producers but for those rearing and finishing these animals.
Arguably the simplest way to do this is through genetic selection. Genetics is thought to contribute as much as 50% towards the profitability of an animal during its lifetime, and production of quality beef is no different. Genetics governs all aspects of performance such as animal growth rates, days to finishing, feed efficiency and carcass conformation.
With the beef on dairy offering from the AI industry now providing plenty of options which balance calving ease with exceptional beef performance traits, it is a great time to develop dairy-beef production chains fuelled by high quality genetics. When selecting bulls this autumn, focusing on traits which align with market demands such as carcass weight and growth rate give us the opportunity to really reap maximum value from our breeding decisions.
It’s no longer simply a beef straw but an opportunity to really drive profit.